Contempt of case filed against sidhakura
The Supreme Court Administration has raised a contempt of court proceedings against the news portal, sidhakura.com, and its YouTube channel.
The court administration has sought legal action against the publisher sidhakura.com, Yuvaraj Kandel, for publishing a fake news report, accusing a sitting Supreme Court justice, various senior advocates, and the publishers of two prominent media houses, among others, of trying to dismiss more than 400 corruption cases.
The case of contempt will be presented on Monday, said Govind Prasad Ghimire, deputy registrar of the Supreme Court.
Kandel’s news portal has accused Supreme Court Justice Anand Mohan Bhattarai, Chairman of the Annapurna Media Network Rameshwar Thapa, Managing Director of the Kantipur Media Group Kailash Sirohiya, special correspondent of Annapurna Post Surendra Kafle, and senior advocates Hari Upreti and Kishor Vishwakarma, of being part of a clandestine meeting to influence the verdict of more than 400 corruption cases.
The matter has sparked intense opposition from the media fraternity and judicial community.
The apex court has sought action against everyone involved in the publication of the content, including Kandel and executive editor Navin Dhungana.
Taking into account the impact on the dignity and prestige of the judiciary, and considering the seriousness of the matter, a full-court meeting of all justices of the Supreme Court was held on Sunday. The case was filed based on the decision of the meeting.
The fake news, which has tarnished the reputation of the senior justice, legal professionals, communication professionals, and journalists, has been criticized by the Nepal Media Society, Nepal Bar Association, and Supreme Bar Association, among others.
On Friday, the Press Council of Nepal had issued strict directives to sidhakura.com to remove misleading content, citing serious violations of the code of conduct and extreme misuse of press freedom. The news portal has not only refused to take down the content, but has defended its position with a special editorial and the interview of the person who carried out the so-called sting operation.
The press regulatory body on Sunday renewed its directive to remove the misleading contents. It has also summoned the editor and presenter of the program to its office at 3 pm Monday to furnish clarification and justify their claims with proper evidence.
Fire guts five shops in Sankhamul
Properties worth millions of rupees were destroyed when a fire broke in Sankhamul, Kathmandu on Sunday.
Police said that five shops were reduced to ashes and a house suffered partial damages in the fire that broke out near Dobhan Bridge in Sankhamul, Kathmandu today.
The fire was taken under control with the help of fire engines from Lalitpur Metropolitan City, Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Nepal Police, Armed Police Force and locals.
Full details of the damage caused by the fire are yet to come, police said.
Third Investment Summit: Two agreements signed
The Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) and the Malaysia-based National Chamber of Commerce and Industry signed bilateral agreements aimed at exploring trade and investment promotion.
The signing ceremony took place after the opening session of the Third Investment Summit today.
The FNCCI President, Chandra Prasad Dhakal, and the President of the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (NCCIM), Tan Sri Dato’ Soh Thian Lai, signed the documents on behalf of their respective sides.
Similarly, two business entities from Nepal and India have entered into a cooperation agreement for the establishment and operation of a data center.
BLC Group Nepal and Yotta Data Services Private Limited of India have reached an agreement in this regard.
The Managing Director of BLC Group, Megha Chaudhary, and Yotta's Chief Executive Officer, Sunil Gupta, affixed their signatures to the agreement on behalf of their respective organizations.
There are immense opportunities for investment in Nepal: PM Dahal
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said Nepal is a suitable destination for investment, calling upon the investors from across the globe to seize the opportunity and be benefitted from this.
The Prime Minister said this while inaugurating the Nepal Investment Summit 2024 here today.
On the occasion, the PM asserted that there are immense opportunities for investment in Nepal and it is a potential country for investment from legal, geographical and strategic perspective as well.
Stating that Nepal is fully committed to a liberal economic policy, he reassured that an investment-friendly environment has been created in the country.
The Prime Minister said Nepal is continuously moving ahead towards creating a friendly environment for the investors, industrialists, entrepreneurs and innovators. In this connection, he added, eight various laws related to business and investment have been reformed.
